12 Feb. 2004

Agreement on strategic sealift capability Background Prague Summit 2002 Links NAMSA website On 12 February nine nations signed an agreement with the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) to provide NATO with strategic sealift capability for rapidly deployable forces. In addition to the lead nation Norway, the other nations are Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. There is a shortfall in strategic sealift in the Alliance. As a consequence, a High Level Group on Strategic Sealift was established at the Prague Summit in 2002. The nations agreed to increase their multinational efforts to reduce the strategic sealift shortfalls for rapidly deployable forces by using a combination of fulltime charter and multinational assured access contracts. The nine nations have agreed to acquire a multinational capability package consisting of three roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) ships on assured access, 1-2 Danish Ro/Ro ships on fulltime charter, residual capacity of four United Kingdom Ro/Ro ships and a Norwegian Ro/Ro ship on ad hoc basis. The nations will pursue an incremental approach, utilizing 2004 as a trial year with the aim of developing further capacity for subsequent years. To ensure effective use of the overall strategic sealift capability, the nations will utilize the services of the Sealift Coordination Centre (SCC). The SCC was established on permanent basis at the Eindhoven Airbase, the Netherlands, on 1 September 2003, and is based on an agreement between the Netherlands, Norway and United Kingdom. Several more nations are utilizing the centre and are in the process of joining the agreement. “ I am extremely pleased with the arrangement and that the additional capability package will be a valuable step in eliminating NATO's shortfall in strategic sealift,” said the Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Marshall S. Billingslea.